Left politics and liberal drug policies in Latin America: Elective affinity or strange bedfellows?

Abstract

Background

In Latin America, most left governments have come and gone without pursuing or enacting liberal drug policy reforms. Yet, when and where liberal drug policy reforms have occurred, this has been in countries governed by the Left. How can we make sense of the relationship between progressive political orientation and progressive drug policies?

Methods

The article compares and contrasts the ideological orientation of candidates and governments with drug policy proposals, drug policies and drug policy reforms in Latin America. To do so, the study utilizes existing measures of political ideology, electoral platforms, regularly compiled reports on drug policies, and a purpose-built drug policy index. In systematically studying these materials, the article descriptively analyzes the relationship between left politics and liberal drug policies.

Results

The article finds little evidence for the existence of an “elective affinity” between progressive governments and progressive drug policies in Latin America. Rather results show variation and a variegated relationship, there are both rejection, indifference and support for liberal drug policy among the region’s left-leaning governments. When liberal drug policy reforms occur, they tend to take place in countries governed by the Left. Rather than wholly “strange bedfellows,” progressive governments are almost always necessary but also insufficient for meaningful progressive drug policy reforms.

Conclusions

Progressive governments and progressive drug policies seldom go hand-in-hand, but when liberal drug policies occur the Left almost always has a hand in them. There is a need for further investigation into the supply-side of progressive drug policies and, specifically, political orientation, party politics and why some, but not other, progressive governments support them.